This invention relates to wart removal, and more particularly to a method and device for accomplishing wart removal.
A wart is a papillomatous growth characterized by a relatively thick, tough, keratinous outer layer. It is believed that a virus causes warts. A wide variety of wart removal techniques are known in the art. Wart removal techniques include burning and freezing. These techniques must typically be performed by a physician in a clinical setting. Various lotions and medicaments have been developed for topical application. Still, it is difficult to identify a lotion or medicament that is safe for a patient to use at home and that is still able to penetrate the relatively thick, tough, keratinous outer layer of a wart. Physicians have used scalpels and razors to remove warts by cutting or paring. A variety of tools or devices have also been proposed that use roughened surfaces to remove wart tissue over a period of days or weeks by rubbing or abrading. Cutting or paring a wart with a scalpel or razor generally provides superior results as compared to rubbing or abrading a wart with a roughened surface. Still, it is inconvenient and costly for a patient to make repeated trips to a physician for frequent cutting or paring treatments. For obvious safety reasons, physicians and patients are reluctant to have the patient use a scalpel or razor for repeated cutting and paring at home. Nonetheless, using a roughened surface to slowly rub or abrade wart tissue leaves much to be desired. For example, the roughened surfaces typically lack the cutting depth and sharpness to effectively penetrate the stratum corneum, the relatively thick, tough, keratinous outer layer of a wart.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wart removal method and device that allows a patient to safely and effectively remove wart tissue.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wart removal method and device of the above type that combines the advantages of clinical cutting or paring devices with the convenience of home treatment devices.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and device of the above type that allows a patient to safely cut away wart tissue without extensive training and without causing noticeable bleeding.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and device of the above type that allows a patient to safely cut away wart tissue in a specific, pinpointed location.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and device of the above type that allows a patient to safely use a kit to remove a wart in a non-clinical setting.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device of the above type, and a method of using the same, that provides sufficient cutting depth and sharpness to penetrate the stratum corneum, the relatively thick, tough, keratinous outer layer of a wart and that is still safe for a patient to use in a non-clinical setting.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and device of the above type that increases the effectiveness of a medicament by allowing a patient to make incisions through the relatively thick, toughened, keratinous outer layer of a wart prior to applying the medicament in a non-clinical setting.
Toward the fulfillment of these and other objects and advantages, a device and method of using same are disclosed. The device has a handle and a pad affixed to the handle. The pad has a base and a plurality of tines. Each tine preferably has a height that is not less than approximately twice its width and that is more preferably not less than approximately three times its width. The tine height is preferably less than approximately 0.1 inch and is more preferably less than approximately 0.05 inch. The pad has a width that is preferably not greater than approximately xc2xc inch and a length that is preferably not less than approximately twice its width. The pad has a width that is more preferably not greater than approximately xe2x85x9 inch and a length that is more preferably not less than approximately xc2xd inch. Each tine is preferably sharpened so that opposing sides form a point at an upper edge with the opposing sides forming an angle that is substantially within a range of from approximately 20xc2x0 to approximately 40xc2x0. In operation, the device is raked against wart tissue to create a plurality of incisions in the wart tissue. The sharpness and cutting depth of the device are designed to create a plurality of incisions without causing noticeable bleeding. The device may be used in combination with a medicament, such as pyruvic acid, to improve the effectiveness of the medicament. The device and medicament may be provided as a kit, such as by prescription, for use by a patient in a non-clinical setting.